I have referred many families to sleep schools in the past and seen terrific results, but compared to those I’ve sent, I have stopped many more from attending. This is because many MBUs (mother-baby units) send a message to parents that there is a militant solution and that they can’t achieve it without this. I firmly disagree with this. 

We need to empower, not disempower parents. Manage your child according to their needs, within an age-appropriate, flexible routine framework. Not militant regimens.

An online course like the Dr Golly Sleep Program is a great option for many families but an online course can only do so much, for some families a personalised sleep consultant that comes to your house might be best for others the cross functional care provided at a sleep school might be what you need.  If you have been referred to or think an in-patient sleep school is the right option for your family there are public and private sleep school options available. Many of the private options are rebatable on your Private health insurance which is great news for many families requiring the service.

Please note: some mothers experience extreme emotional changes in the postnatal period, including psychosis and depression. These mothers may be admitted to a mental healthcare facility for new mothers, which is not the same thing as a ‘sleep school’ concept.  

There are so many great resources about there for parents – filtering through them and working out which ones are right for your family is the hard bit!

In general terms I’m a clinical ambassador for:

Safety: Red Nose & Kids Safe Australia: There will guide you through creating a safe sleep space for your baby and safe home once they can start to move around.

Mental Health: PANDA & SMS4Dads 

We do. Alex Dawkins, is a Registered nurse midwife and a Certified Sleep Consultant she is a core member of our team and contributed greatly to the writing and structure of the Dr Golly Sleep Program. 

 

The Dr Golly Program offers a range of different settling techniques, both gentle and more traditional methods. Dr Golly does not recommend letting babies cry it out. The settling techniques differ depending on age.

We recommend selecting techniques based on your baby’s temperament and your own parenting style. There are lists of pros and cons in each of the age based programs to help you choose the best settling solution for your family.

With the settling techniques recommended, make sure you choose one that is achievable for your family! Every parent and family is different, but both caregivers should be on the same page to give your baby the same, consistent message.

Dr Golly does not recommend letting babies cry it out. While crying can often be associated with and normal when changing a baby’s current habits and establishing a new routine, leaving a baby crying out unchecked is not something Dr Golly would do with his own family and would never recommend it. The program aims to empower you as parents to trust your parental instincts, listen to the cries and understand tired, wind and hunger signs – know when a grizzle is just a protest or when a whale is because they have some trapped wind.

The Dr Golly Sleep Program is built on the foundations of learning the cues your baby is giving you to help form of healthy sleep habits and healthy feeding cycles. The program can help with many common sleep problems including, Cat napping, early morning waking, sleeping through the night, dropping night feeds, navigating starting solids, a baby that will only fall asleep in your arms being rocked

This is completely up to the family, if what you are doing works for you then great! In the Dr Golly Sleep Program we don’t recommend sleep routines until 6 weeks – 5-6 kg, keeping in mind age correction for preemie babies until 6 months of age